Deaerating feed-water heater



Aug. 14, 1951 J. F. SEBALD DEAERATING F EEDWATER HEATER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 5, 1948 JOSEPH F.5EBALD INVENTOR.

FIG-.3

Aug. 14, 1951 F, S BAL 2,564,584

DEAERATING FEEDWATER HEATER Filed Oct. 5, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 JOSEPH F. SEBALD INVENTOR.

Patented Aug. 14, 1951 DEAERATING FEED-WATER HEATER Joseph F. Sebald, Bloomfield, N. J., assignor to Worthington Pump and Machinery Corporation, Harrison, N. J a corporation of Delaware Application October 5, 1948, Serial No. 52,869

This invention relates to apparatus for heating and degasifying liquids, particularly such apparatus known in the art as jet type heaters wherein the water to be heated and degasified is sprayed into or mixed in direct contact with the heating steam and is projected into a low pres sure area for flashing or reboiling for heating the water and separating the non-condensible gases, particularly oxygen, from the heated water. Such heaters, while all of the common general type, are known in the trade as the atomizing type heater, shown for example in prior Patents 2,315,227 of March 30, 1943, and 2,321,839 of June 15, 1943, and the intimate mixing type shown for example, in Patents 2,308,719 and 2,308,721 of January 19, 1943.

In water heaters of these direct contact types all of the heating steam is not condensed in the heating and degasifying operation of the apparatus and vent condensers are employed such as shown at U in Patent 2,315,227; at 31' in Patent 2,321,839; at 30 in Figure l of Patent 2,308,719, and at 5 in Patent 2,308,721 in the apparatus for condensing the residual steam and cooling the non-condensible gases which later are released to atmosphere, while the condensed steam is returned as liquid condensate to the apparatus. Such vent condensers which are universally employed with water heaters and deaerators of the types above referred to, as Well as with those of the earlier tray type of heater are surface type condensers and are relatively expensive to manui'acture, are heavy and material y increase the space required for installation of the apparatus. These qualities are undesirabe in modern power plant construction and particularly in marine power plants, wherein space on shipboard is at a premium and in which it is desired to keep the weight of such equipment or apparatus at a minimum.

An object of the present invention is to provide water heating and deaerating apparatus which embodies means within the housing of the apparatus for condensing the residual steam, eliminating the surface type vent condenser and its cooperating piping, without eliminating its functions, thereby materially reducing the cost of the apparatus, reducing its weight and the space required for its installation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide in a direct contact feedwater heater and deaerator for heating water and removing noncondensible gases therefrom, means which Will direct the residual vapors through an accumulation or the partially heated water and from thence '7 Claims. (Cl. 261115) into direct contact with the incoming sprays of cold water at the coldest part of the apparatus for condensing the residual steam and cooling the non-condensible gases, and further to provide means for the escape of the non-condensible gases and the return of the condensed residual vapor or steam to an appropriate point in the apparatus for mixture with the water being treated.

In the present application, the term residual vapors or residual steam is used to define the steam and non-condensible gases which are not condensed during the heating and degasifying of the Water by the normal operation of the apparatus, i. e., the residual vapors which have previously to the present invention been passed to a vent condenser for condensation and cooling.

With these and other objects in view, as may appear from the accompanying specification, the invention consists of various features of construction and combination of parts, which will be first described in connection with the accompanying drawings, showing a deaerating feedwater heater of a preferred form embodying the invention, and the features forming the invention will be specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the improved deaerating feedwater heater.

- Figure 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section through the feedwater heater showing in top p an the structure for spraying the cold Water into the apparatus.

Figure 3 is a section through the spray head structure taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a, horizontal section through the ap aratus taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the improved feedwater heater and deaerator comprises a shell I including therein a first or initial heating chamber 2 and a second or subsequent low pressure heating and degasifying chamber 3. The water to be heated enters the apparatus through the water inlet pipe 4 and passes into the spray head 5 located in the initial heating chamber 2. The spray head 5 is a hollow body and has a plurality of spray valves 6 of any approved construction which may be purchased upon the open market, connected thereto, which spray valves spray the cold water in thin fine streams upwardly into the chamber 2 as is clearly shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. The water sprayed through the chamber 2 strikes against the inner surface of the top 1 of the housing I and against the vertical annular partition 8. The water striking against the inner surface conduit I9.

of the top 'I of the housing I and against the vertical annular partition 8. The water striking against the inner surface of the top I of the housing I rains downwardly through the initial heating chamber 2 and falls upon the inverted substantially conical partition 9. The partition 9 has its outer edge attached to a second annular vertical partition I8 and thus with the partitions 8 and I forms the confines of the initial heating chamber 2. A third vertical annular partition II is provided and has its lower edge attached to the inverted substantially conical partition 9. The annular vertical partitions 8', I0, and II cooperate to form an annular water receiving chan-- nel I2 with an open water inlet space between the partitions 8 and I I so that some of the water sprayed against the annular partition 8 will run down the partition and fall or pass into the annular water retaining space I2.

The water which rains upon the inverted substantially conical partition 9 drains down to the apex, of the partition and passes into a vertical conduit I3 from which it flows into the mixing spray head structure I4.

'Steam utilized in heating and deaerating the water enters the apparatus through the steam inlet. I5 and passes into the steam conducting space It formed between the partition 9 and a second inverted frustro-conical partition I! from the space or passage It. The steam enters a downward passage I8 formed about the downward water passage by a substantially cylindrical From the passage Is the steam enters the mixing spray structure It.

The mixing spray structure It includes the outer cup-like body 213 and the inner cup-like body 2I placed therein and spaced from the walls of the outer body 20 to provide a passage '22, the section 23 of which forms an eductive passage through which the water is picked up by the inductive force of the steam passing through the passage 2 formed within the inner cup-like body 2!. The steam and water issue respectively from the passages 24 and 23 into the mixing passage 25 where the steam and water are intimately mixed. The passage 25 gradually increases in cross sectional area from a predetermined point in its length to its outlet and the mixed steam and water from this mixing passage are sprayed or projected into the subse quent or low pressure chamber 3 within the housing I. During such projection the mixed stream of steam and water is broken up by its projection against the under surface of the partition I! and the bafiles 21. Also, the mixed steam andwater together with non-condensible gases are projected in a substantially atomized form into the low pressure chamber 3. The non-condensible gases and the residual steam, constituting the residual vapors are released from the heated water and such steam as has been condensed during the mixing operation and the projection thereof into thechamber 3. The heated water and condensate falls into the lower part of the housing -I from which it is withdrawn through asuitable outlet 28. The residual vapors; constituting the residual or non-condensed steam and the non-condensible gases, passes upwardly through the chamber 3 and downwardly into' the annular water retaining space or channel I2 through the annular steam inlet 29. The steam inlet 29 is formed between the partitions 8 and ID. The residual vapors pass downwardly and upwardly, that is, in a sinuous path through the water collected in the annular water retaining space or channel I2 whereby part of the steam is condensed. The remaining residual steam and the non-condensed vapors pass upwardly out of the annular space or channel I2 into the initial heating chamber 2 carrying with them by a blowing action some of the water from the annular channel I2. Owing to the fact that the water sprayed by the spray head 5 is relatively cold, the coldest points in the initial heating chamber 2 will be at and immediately surrounding the spray head 5 and, consequently, the steam and non-condensible gases will flow in counter-current flow paths to the direction of the sprayed water towards the coldest part of the chamber 2, and practically all of the steam will thus be condensed with the non-condensible gases passing through the vent passage 30 to atmosphere. The vent passage 38 is shown as formed by a tubular conduit 3! which extends downwardly from the top of the shell I to a point in spaced close proximity to the top of the spray head 5. Thus the non-condensible gases will be materially cooled and their volume reduced before they are vented to atmosphere. r

The annular water retaining space or channel (2 is divided into a plurality 'of independent compartments by gusset plates 32 as clearly shown in Figure 4 of the drawings so as to prevent short circuiting of water and steam through parts of the annular space or channel in which water might not be contained or an insufficieht amount contained therein as a result of nonlevel mounting of the apparatus or during rolling and pitching of a ship when the deaerating ieedwater heater is employed on shipboard.

Some of the residual steam and non-condensi ble gases may pass 'aroundthe spray head 5 into the space in the initial heating chamber 2 below the spray head and forflthe purpose of extracting such steam and fnon-condensibles back into the upper part of the chamber for condensation or venting to atmosphere the s ray head 5 is provided with a plurality of ducts or passages 33 extending therethrough. These ducts or passages 33 are shown as alternately spaced relative to the spray heads 6, but they may be located at any suitable or. desirable points and may be truly vertical or angular, as desired or as best designed practices dictate The cold water being sprayed into the chamber 2 above the spray head 5 will create, together with the relative coldness of the space directly above the spray head a sucking action on noncondensible gases and steam in the space below' the spray head 5 and draw,the same into the space above the spray head 5.

The spray head 5 is also provided with a centrally located tapering opening 3% extending therethrough which gradually decreases in cross sectional area from the top of the spray head 5 to the bottom thereof and which aligns with the vent conduit M. A tube 35 extends from the lower outlet end of the opening" 32 downwardly through the water conduit I3'to a point in the conduit below the normal water level in the conduit and in the mixing spray head It so as to'permit any condensate or water which falls upon the top of the spray head 5 to pass downwardly into the mixing head IQ for mixture with the water entering the mixing head. By extending the tube 35 below the normal water level in the mixing head It back-flow of water, air or steam through the tube 35 is prevented.

i h t e structure f' eaeratine- Water heater shown and described herein practically all the steam entering the apparatus will be condensed and the employment of a vent condenser, as has been the usual practice heretofore, is eliminated with the elimination of its resulting disadvantages such as increased cost, increased weight and space requirements.

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific construction or arrangement of parts shown, but that they may be Widely modified within the invention defined by the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a water heater and degasifying apparatus, a housing, an initial stage heating chamber in said housing, a subsequent stage treatment chamber in said housing, means for introducing steam direct to said subsequent steam treatment chamber, means for introducing the Water to be heated and degasified into said initial stage chamber including a hollow spray head, a plurality of spray valves carried by said head, said head having a plurality of passages extending therethrough which are isolated from the interior of the head to permit passage of steam and non-condensible gases through the spray head without contact with water in the head.

2. In a water heating and degasifying apparatus, a housing having means therein forming n initial stage heating chamber and a subsequent stage treatment chamber, means for spraying water to be treated into said initial stage chamber, means for delivering mixed steam and water to said subsequent treatment chamber, the means for delivering steam and water to said subsequent stage treatment chamber including an inclined baflle forming the bottom of said initial stage chamber, a pair of spaced annular baflies rising from said inclined baflie at and near its outer edge and forming an annular trough spaced inwardly from the housing to form a passage of communication between said initial stage chamber and said subsequent treatment chamber, a third annular baflie carried by said housing and positioned to direct some of the water sprayed into the initial stage heating chamber into said annular trough to provide a depth of water in a trough, said third annular baflie extending into the trough below the normal level of water therein and intermediate of the pair of spaced annular baffles to form an inlet passage to the trough having communication with the passage of communication about the trough and an outlet passage opening into the initial stage treatment chamber whereby non-condensibles and residual steam passing from said subsequent treatment chamber to said initial stage chamber must pass through the water in said trough.

3. A water heating and degasifying apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said inclined baflle has a central opening therein to permit water to flow from said initial treatment chamber to said means for delivering steam and water to said subsequent treatment chamber.

4. A water heating and degasifying apparatus as claimed in claim 2 including a non-condensible gas escape conduit in said housing and having its inlet opening into said initial stage chamber in relatively close spaced relation with said spray head.

5. A water heating and degasifying apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means for introducing water into said initial treatment chamber includes a hollow spray head located within the initial treatment chamber, a plurality of spray valves carried by said head, said head having a plurality of transverse passages extending therethrough which are isolated from the interior of the head to permit passage of steam and noncondensible gases through the spray head without contact with water in the head.

6. A water heating and degasifying apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means for introducing Water into said initial stage chamber includes a hollow spray head located within the initial stage chamber, a plurality of spray valves carried by said head, said spray now having a transversely extending condensate drain passage extending therethrough and isolated from the interior of the head to permit passage of condensate through the spray head without contact with water in the spray head, said spray head having an additional plurality of passages extending therethrough in spaced relation to said condensate drain passage and isolated from the interior of the head to permit passage of steam and non-condensible gases through the spray head Without contact with water in the spray head.

7. A water heating and degasifying apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means for introducing Water into said initial stage chamber includes a hollow spray head located within the initial stage chamber, a plurality of spray valves carried by said head, said spray head having a transversely extending condensate drain passage extending therethrough and isolated from the interior ofthe head to permit passage of condensate through the spray head without contact with Water in the spray head, a conduit pipe having its inlet placed to receive condensate from said condensate drain passage and its outlet extending into the means for introducing water JOSEPH F. SEBALD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

